Vehicle spotlight and signal



W. SCHIERDING.

VEHICLE SPOTLIGHT AND SIGNAL.

APPLlcArloN FILED :AN.27.1921.

1 ,408,476. Patented Mar. 7, 1922.

@Hamai UNITED STATES PATENT-OFFICE.

WILLIAM scnrEnnNe, or sronANn, WASHINGTON, kAssIeNon 'rov UNrvERsAL UTImfrmsmANUrAomnmNe COMPANY, on sroirANn, WASHINGTON. l

L vnnicnn sroTL'renTANn SIGNAL. l.

vTo' aZZ wi/wmc't v'may concern A Be it knownthat l, lVILLi'AM `Sci-rinnnnm, a citizen vof Germany, 4(first and' secondfpapers being taken out to become citizen of the United States,) residing atSpokane, in Spokane County and State of Washington,

described and claimedl 'have invented certain new and useful Im provenients Vin Vehicley Spotlights" yand Signals,"of Vwhich the following is a specifica tion. l

My present] invention relates to an improved vehicle spotlight and signal'adapted especially for use in connection with automo- `tive vehicles', as a combined traiiic signal to indicate directionof' travel of the vehicle and as a spotlight for use in illuminating the roadway. The primary object of theinvention is the provision of a device of this-character thatinay readily be manipulated in either T*ertical or horizontal planes y for bringing the'lamp to position to shine in different directions or at different angles when required, together with the signal or `indicator arm vcarried the lamp in the performance of its functions. n

Tolthisend the `invention consists in a compactly Aarranged'attachment for automotive 'vehicles operable froma pair of hand Wheels located vin convenient position for `'vised for the practical application of the principles of my invention; ,n

p Figure '1 isja' view' looking. toward the front of anV automobile showing somuch thereof as is'necessary to illustrate the application thereto of my invention, vthe lamp and signal larrnbeing directedinlateral or transverse position 'with relation to the direction of travel o f thervehicle. 'n n i 1figure 2 is an enlarged, vertical sectional view showing in detail the' operating. parts ofthe device for moving the r,lamp in kvertical and horizontal planes.

Figure l3 is a perspective view of the lamp "and `signal arm asseen from' thejfront thereof. v A i In order to show therelationship of the Specification of Letters Patent.`

. l Applicationiea January 27,1921. serial No. 440,272."

the'can 4 v 1 j To adapt the attachmentto'the' rounded Patented Mar. 7, 1922.

assembled attachment to the automobile I l have designated l as the side of the automobile in Figure 1 and illustrated the steering" -wheel 2 and its post 3, as essential to the at tachmentand support ofthe lamp and signal arm.` y c The lamp '4: is of the usual type-electric lamp employed as av spotlight [and is illumined `as usual from a lighting systemV not shown, while'the signal armo carried by the lamp is the conventional form of arrow for pointingv in the direction ofin` tended travel.l y

The lamp is supported from `the side of the .car body by meansof a hollow, metallic standard 6 fashioned withla yhorizontally disposed base 7, ralso of' metal andhollow, the partsk being secured in angular position by meansof screws as 7 in Figure 21:0 form a,

rigid Vstructure `for the 'supporting of the lampjand its operatingparts.

The combined lamp and signal vare capable of adjustment in verticalv and horizontal planes through the manipulation 'of the respective hand wheels 8 and 9 located adjacent the steering post and wheelin convencoi ient and accessible,positionr for the driver'of or curved sides of ya car I utilize a circular, flanged attaching-plate 10 in combination with the.. hemispherical or rounded disk 11 seated in the roundedl or concave portion 10 of' the plate l0, and'these kelements are pro- 'vide'd with perforations 12 for screws ork bolts i3 passed therethrough and secured to the car. By' proper adjustment yof the flangedplatc, which it will be noted is intef gral' Withthe base 7, over the convex disk,A the base 7 and standard 6 may be arranged in true'horizontal andvertical orperpendicular position-as a rigid supporting vstructure for the movable iparts 1,of the attach- Y ment.'

The lampis directly supported in av horizontal, hollow bracket. la, which is fashioned With a depending, integral sleeve 15' tting neatlyin the upper open end of the standard 6, and may be'providediwith cork fric-l "tion'rin'gs 16 or disks to` engage the innerr` yWall"offthe hollow standard Aand 'prevent rattlin .of the parts. An integral bracket head l on the lamp is located in and closes the open end of the cylindrical bracket 14 andv Vthe bracket headis fashioned with an adjusting nut 21 bearing against a washer 22within the open end of thebracket, and a cushion spring 23 is interposed between thismovable washer and the ixed, transstandard.

verse integra-l partition 24 in the cylindrical bracket in order that the nut may be turned to draw the bracket head ofthe lamp within the bracket. The spring retainsjthe parts in proper position by frictional contact with the ywasher and partition, and while the, lamp is thus held against longitudinal movement with relation yto the bracket, it may be revolved or rotated in a vertical plane with relation' to the bracket, by turning the hand wheel 8.

The bracket head 17, as seen in Figure 2 is fashioned with a toothed end or bevel gear 25 in position for engagement with a. complementary pinion 2G formed at the upper end of the `sleeve 2T rigid with and rotatable with the vertically disposed countershaft 28, which issupported, as in bearings 29 in the sleeve 15 of the lamp bracket. At its lower end the countershatt made lup of the sections 2T--28, is provided with a small bevel gear 30, secured as by ascrew to the end of the section 28, and this bevel gear meshes with a complementary bevel gear 31 on the tubular shaft 32 having a bearing in the attaching plate `1() at 33. The hand wheel 8 is attached to the tubular shaft 32, and it will readily be apparent that by turning the hand wheel the lamp be tilted or swung in a vertical plane, whether pointing to the front, rear or side of the car.

As betere stated the hand wheel 9 is utilized to swing the lamp and its signal in a horizontal plane, and this movement is accomplished by rotating the bracket 14, the lamp and the sleeve 15, the latter within the At its lower end within the standard, the sleeve has attached thereto a vertical, tubular shaft 34,which encases the countershaft section 28 and extends a short distance within the bore of the sleeve 15 to which it is secured by a screw 35. The tubular shaft 34 has a bearingin the bearing ring 36 of the spherical, hollow head 37 of 4the base arm 7 and the countershaft and tubular shaft are rotatably supported within the-standard by the sleeve 15 at the upper end of the standard. At itslower end the vertical tubular shaft 34 is provided with a large bevel gear 38 which meshes with a complementary gear 39 fixed on the solidy shaft 40 to which the hand wheel 9 is fixed. The solid vshaft 40 is encased within the horizontal tubular shaft 32, passes through ythe gears 31 and 39 and has a bearing vat 41 in the spherical head 37, and a spring 42 is interposed between the gear 39 and this bearing to hold the gears 31 and 39 inmesh with their respective and complementary gears 30 and 38, as seen in Figure 2. Now by turning the hand wheel 9 the tubular shaft 34 and fixed sleeve `15 with the bracket, bracket headv and lamp may be revolved,` horizontally with relation to the standard to 4swing thelamp and signal to desired position.

` The signal arm or arrowi attached to` the lamp' by means of the signal bracket 43 whichis integral with the- -flange- 44 by means'of which the bracket 14 is attached toV the lamp as best'seen 'in Figure 3,. and the signal arm or arrow is adjustable on the signal bracket by means of a threadedstud 45 projecting from the Vbracket `43 and passed through an opening in the end of the arm. By means of the wing nut 46 on this threaded stud the arm may be secured in adjusted position in manner well understood.

The attachment is usually supported from the side of the car adjacent to the windshield, and the several parts of the device are Vprotected,from the weather by the util lization of the hollow standard and arm,

while the joints are so arranged as to exclude dust, dirt, or water, and also constructed to prevent rattling or vibration of parts. The lamp is held in adjusted vposition by the trictional Contact of parts, as the spring 23 with washer 22 and partition 24, and the sleeve 15 with its cork disks in close contact with the inner face of thevwall of the cylindrical hollow standard.

The lamp land arrow maybe adjusted to meet traic regulations of different States ordivisions, and for ordinary use,fthe lamp may be turned downand the Aarrow `re-set or adjusted in horizontal position at an angle to the plane of kthe'lamp lens rendering the signal available for use. The left, right, and stop indications may be made with the arrow either by day or when illuminated by the lamp at night, by turning the hand wheel 48 while the arrow. ispointing in a generally lateral direction, and of course the lamp may be turned to the front or rear and to intermediate angles within afradius` around the lamp support, for customaryuse.

Both wheels 8 and 9 may be manipulated simultaneously 4to give the Vlamp and arrow j a combined vertical' and horizontal swing,

pensive, but compactly arranged device which may be manipulated with facility and convenience when required for performing its required functions, and which withal is a comparatively perfect mechanism for carrying out the objects and purposes of my invention.

Having thus fully described'my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent isW l. The combination with the angular, hollow supporting structure, of a lamp, a tubular bracket, a lamp bracket head rotatable in said bracket and means for rotating said head to swing the lamp in a vertical plane, a stem on the bracket head having a bearing in a portion of saidbracket, and means on said stem for retaining the head in operative position within the bracket. y

2. The combination with the hollow supporting structure, of a bracket supported therein, a lamp oscillatable in a vertical plane and provided with a bracket head in said bracket, meansfor oscillatingthe lamp and head, a stem on the head having a threaded free end, a bearing in a. portion of said bracket, a washer on the stem and a nut co-acting with the washer, anda cushion spring between said washer and bearing portion of the bracket for the purpose described. f

3. The combinationV with -a hollow standard of a rotatable sleeve therein and a hollow transverse bracket on said sleeve,nieans for rotating said sleeve, a lamp bracket head within said bracket and a lamp carried thereby, means for rotating said head, and means for retaining said head and lamp with relation to the bracket.

li. The combination with an angular hollow standard and a transverse hollow bracket supported thereby, of a lamp having a bracket head within the bracket, a stem on the headV supported in the bracket and means on said stem for retaining the lamp and head with relation to the bracket, a bevel gear on said head, a countershaft having a bevel pinion in engagement with said gear, an actuating shaft and gears connecting said shaft with the countershaft, and a hand wheel for turning said actuating shaft.

5. The combination with an angular hollow standard of a rotatable sleeve supported therein, a bracket on the sleeve and a lamp in said bracket, of an operating shaft in the standard attached to said sleeve, an actuating shaft disposed at right angles to said operating shaft and gear connections be- .tween said shaft, and means for rotating said ,actuating shaft.

6. The combination with an angular hollow standard having a concave attaching head, of a convex disk complementary thereto and means for attaching these parts in adjusted position, a lamp supported on said standard, means for swinging said lamp vin a horizontal plane, and means for tilting said lamp in a vertical plane.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature.

WILLIAM SCHIERDING. 

